The American Community Survey is an ongoing statistical survey that samples
a small percentage of the population every year to help with economic
development. It is a replacement for the US census long-form . The American
Community Survey is performed annually rather once a decade (as is the census)
by sending it to approximately 250,000 American households monthly ( 3 million
a year).

Thomas Mesenbourg, the Census Bureau's acting director, announced on
December 17 that they will now permit an online response as an option.

The [USA] Ohio Department of Health (ODOH) maintains an index of all
marriages and divorces registered by Ohio Probate courts and submitted to the
ODOH back to 1950. As of January 1, 2013 the ODOH Office of Vital Statistics
(ODOH/VS) will change the way marriage and divorce abstracts are filed with
them. Starting January 1, 2013 the ODOH/VS will only maintain two years of
marriage and divorce abstracts in their office (2011 and 2012). They will
continue to maintain and electronic index--the new policy only effects the
housing of the physical paper abstracts from 1950 forward.

The electronic index is searchable and provided free to the public. The
ODOH/VS will still be able to confirm marriage and divorce dates, the names of
the individuals involved and the county where the event took place.

While I have a copy of the notice, at the time of writing this notice I was
unable to find it on the Department's website. http://www.odh.ohio.gov/

Jewish American Heritage Month (JAHM), is a national commemoration of
the contributions that American Jews have made to the fabric the American
culture and society. JAHM announced the theme for the May 2013 celebration:
American Jews in Entertainment. Immigrant Jewish
entrepreneurs or their sons (like Sam Goldwyn, Jack and Harry Warner, Louis B.
Mayer) were integral to the creation of Hollywood.

Beginning in
January 2013, the JAHM website, www.jahm.us,
will be updated with educational resource materials related to the theme
American Jews in Entertainment. Also in January, the JAHM
website will roll out “Speaking of American Jewish Heritage,” an online resource
listing speakers, musicians, artists and authors whose area of expertise is
American Jewish heritage and history.

The JAHM
website is an interactive clearinghouse for events, programs, and activities
nationwide and a resource for school and community leaders. JGSs can
submit their events, in honor of Jewish American Heritage Month, sign up for
email updates, and find out what’s happening in your neighborhood and across the
country. See:
http://www.jahm.us/events.aspx

Another part
of the website is entitled 50 stories from 50 States about unknown famous Jews
in history from each state see: http://www.jahm.us/statestories.aspx Societies
may wish to submit a story for
consideration.

History

JAHM recognition was started by President George W. Bush in 2006 as a
result of the Jewish Museum of Florida and South Florida Jewish Community
leaders resulting in congressional leaders urging then-President Bush to
recognize the more than 350-year history of Jewish contributions to American
culture. The recognition of Jewish American Month has been continued by
President Barack Obama. Jewish American Heritage Month had its origins in 1980
when Congress passed Pub. L. 96-237, which authorized and requested the
President to issue a proclamation designating a week in April or May as Jewish
Heritage Week. President Carter issued this first proclamation, Presidential
Proclamation 4752, in April
1980.

NY Orthodontist Michael Lozman started a personal mission to restore the
cemetery in his father's village in Belarus, Sopotskin, which has spread to
help restore other Belarusian villages Jewish cemeteries. Dr. Lozman
realized he could not do this alone and was successful in getting college
students from Dartmouth College to help during their summer schedules over
several years. One-third of the participating students are Jewish. He has
started the Restoration of Eastern European Jewish Cemeteries Project to
help restore more Jewish cemeteries and has received requests for
restoration in Belarus and Lithuania.

Greek police said December 20 that 668 fragments of marble headstones and
other fragments from Jewish graves destroyed during the Nazi occupation inWorld War II have been recovered from a plot of land in Thessaloniki Greece.
Thessaloniki is Greece's second largest city. The headstones found are dated
from the mid-1800's until World War II. The engraving includes occupations
as well as the name of the deceased. An estimated 60,000 Greek Jews, most
of the Jewish-Greek population pre-World War II were killed in the
holocaust.

Last June Bnai Brith archives and its Holocaust collection were transferred
to the Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives in
Cincinnati,Ohio. It is a discreet collection and not merged in with the
other collections at the American Jewish Archives. Bnai Brith was the first
national federated benevolent organization in the United States--it traces
American Jewish history from the 19th century into the 20th century--from
all facets of American Jewish community.

Michael Hait, a well-known professional genealogist, completed a free PDF
e-book, called the United States Census Pathfinder which includes a
compilation of available information from government and independent
websites about the US census from 1790-1940. Census information grew each
year from the inception in 1790 to 1940--the most recently released census.
The census is an essential tool for every genealogist. To access the US
Census Pathfinder go to: http://tinyurl.com/bnns3bworiginal
url: http://haitfamilyresearch.com/pdf_files/Census_Pathfinder.pdfThe
Pathfinder is copyrighted.

Google has blogs that may be of interest to the genealogical world
specifically Google Cultural Institute .There are 42 stories-- several that
caught my attention include: The Were Children--Deportation and Rescue of
Jewish Children 1940-1945; 19 Kilometers From Auschwitz --The Story of the
Jewish Community of Trezbenia, Poland; The Fate of the Children of Marais,
Grandchildren of the Righteous: Ambassadors of Memory, and more that are not
specific to the holocaust or to Jewish-specific-issues.to view the
stories go to: http://tinyurl.com/9aans5xoriginal
url:http://www.google.com/culturalinstitute/#!home:page=1

Thank
you to the National Genealogy Society Upfront with NGS to alerting us to
this find.

Please join me in congratulating JewishGen for being awarded the
November2012 Seton Shields Genealogical Award. This award is granted
byaward-winning genealogist Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak
( that is not
atypo--she married someone not otherwise related with same last
name).

In granting the award, Megan stated: "JewishGen is a valuable
resource I'veused many times over the years. If you have any Jewish heritage
or have everused the popular Steve Morse website (http://stevemorse.org/), you'realready
familiar with all JewishGen has to offer, including countless databases and
many other tools and resources. If not, I encourage you to visit and
explore".

The
monthly Seton Shields award is granted in the name of Megan's
late mother.

About the Seton Shields Award:

If you represent an
organization which serves the genealogical community at large - or if you
serve a smaller community (perhaps you produce a family newsletter, host a
website, organize reunions or some such thing) -- and find yourself shy of
necessary funds, please consider filling out the form to apply for a small
grant. Megan will review all submissions and periodically select one for a
donation. Megan's goal is one per month.
Submissions will remain active
candidates for six months from the date of receipt. She has awarded 150 such
grants since May 2000.
To learn more about the Seton Shields award and
perhaps apply for one go to:http://www.honoringourancestors.com/grants.html

I
do not know the amount of the awards--but since Megan is funding them herself
expect that they are in the smaller range.

The Jewish Genealogical Society of the Conejo Valley and Ventura County
(JGSCV) will hold a general meeting, co-sponsored with and located at Temple
Adat Elohim, on Sunday, January 6, 2013 1:30-3:30 p.m.at Temple Adat Elohim 2420
E. Hillcrest Drive, Thousand Oaks, CA

The
Program:Jewish Genetic Disorders Across the Diaspora: Including
Tay Sachs, Gaucher, BRCA1, BRCA 2 Mutations in the Ashkenazi Jewish Population
and Genetic Screening for the Persian Jewish Community.Certified
genetic counselors will be talking about various Jewish genetic disorders that
affect different Jewish populations. They will talk aboutthe importance of
knowing our family health history-an integral part of genealogy-and the
increased risks of inherited diseases of Ashkenazi(Eastern European) Jews.
Included in the discussion will be BRCA testing (breast and ovarian cancer) as
well as Tay-Sachs, Gaucher and Familial Dysautonomia in the Ashkenazi Jewish
community and a novel genetic screening panel for Persian Jewish community. Find
out why some Jewish families would benefit from education, screening and testing
for certain disorders.

We will have Categories A & B of
our traveling library available beginning at 1:00 PM to shortly after the
meeting. The list of books which are in the JGSCV library is located on our
website www.jgscv.org under
library-traveling.

There is no charge to attend the meeting and all are
welcome to attend. Our 2013 membership dues campaign is well underway.
Membership forms are available at the meeting, on the jgscv.org website and in
our newsletter, Venturing Into Our Past. Annual dues are $25 for an
individual and $30 for a family. Dues paid are good through December 2013.

Directions:
Take 101 Freeway - exit Rancho Road in Thousand Oaks, go north (if coming from
the west, cross Thousand Oaks Blvd ) to E. Hillcrest Drive turn right on
E.Hillcrest go about 1.3 miles (just east of Conejo School Road ) Temple is on
the right. There are approximately 75 parking spots within the complex.
There is no parking on Hillcrest Drive . You may park in the complex or
on any of the side streets.

The Jewish Genealogical Society of the Conejo Valley and Ventura County
is dedicated to sharing genealogical information, techniques and research tools
with anyone interested in Jewish genealogy and family history.

With its
incredibly valuable databases (currently containing more than 21 million
records), networking tools (such as the Family Finder) and projects (such as
KehilaLinks and Yizkor book translations), JewishGen has
become indispensable to anyone in search of answers about
their past.

Act now! Make
your credit card contribution at JewishGen’s secure website by clicking here.
(All donations received before December 31st will be eligible for full tax
benefits for US donors.) If you prefer to donate by check, please make it
payable to JewishGen and send it to:

JewishGen

36
Battery Place

New
York, NY 10280

USA

I wish
you and your family a happy, healthy New Year, and best of luck with your
research.

With
warm regards,

Gary
Mokotoff

Volunteer
since 1988

Creator
of JewishGen’s Family Finder and Family Tree of the Jewish People

The US Library of Congress released over 1,600 color photographs from the
USA's World War II era, past. Usually photographs from that time period were in
black and white not in color. The images were made between 1939 and 1944.
The pictures depict life in the United States, including Puerto Rico and the
Virgin Islands, with a focus on rural areas and farm labor, as well as aspects
of World War II mobilization, including factories, railroads, aviation training,
and women working.

The Irish Army Census of 1922 --the year the Irish National Army was
formed- just celebrated its 90th anniversary. The Anglo-Irish Agreement
stipulated that with regard to strength,that the force could not exceed the size
of the military establishments maintained in Great Britain as that which the
population of Ireland bears to the population of Great Britain. Without accurate
information, headquarters staff could not adequately estimate pay bills, feed,
clothe or procure weapons or even determine how many troops they had at their
disposal. By October 1922 the Army Council had decided that a Census of the
National Forces would be taken as at midnight 12/13th November.

The census hasn't been transcribed, so you'll
need to have some idea of where your relative might have been based in
1922

Last month we learned the disturbing news
that the Washington State Department of Health was planning on proposing to
reduce access to vital records requiring 125 years for birth, 50 years for
marriage, death and divorce. The Washington State Public Records Committee
meeting was scheduled December 5 to hear the request.

This was met with great concern across the genealogical community and a
lot of publicity ensued. We have been advised that the Department of Health is
backing away from their original plans to offer legislation on access to vital
records in the upcoming legislative session--however, future legislative plans
are unclear. In addition we have been advised that the Department of Health
will be transferring the vital records that under current law are required to be
housed in the State Archives--for preservation and access. The State Archives
will have to digitize these records. When we know more about which years and
accessing them it will be reported on this forum.

The State Library of Western Australia has digitized and put online the
Police Gazette of Western Australia from 1876 forward. It lists all the police
activity by year. The information includes a list of people arrested and their
sentences, police appointments and promotions, conditional pardons issued to
convicts, physical descriptions of convicts, etc. I tried some "Jewish
sounding" names such as Cohen and Levine and received multiple hits. You can
search by surname, place and convict number.

Five hundred and twenty years after the start of the Inquisition, Spain
opened the door to descendants of Sephardic Jews whose ancestors had fled the
Iberian Peninsula, forced, in order to live in Spain or its colonies, to choose
between exile or conversion to Christianity. Spain officials have promised to
speed up the naturalization process for Sephardic Jews who spread through the
Diaspora--however, the offer is not simple according to Genie Milgrom, president
of the JGS of Greater Miami who is quoted in the article in the New York Times
and International Herald Tribune on Sunday December 9.

The Federation of Jewish Communities in Spain told the article's author,
Doreen Carvajal, to be naturalized and become citizens, secular bnei anousim
(descendants of anousim or crypto Jews) Jewish applicants whose families had
maintained double lives as Catholics must seek religious training and undergo
formal conversion to Judaism. The Federation will screen and certify the
Sephardic Jewish backgrounds of those who submit applications to obtain Spanish
citizenship.